Barley-Twist Candlesticks

Centuries-old hand-tool sequence creates a good conversation starter

A lathe and a few simple tools are all you need to make a barley-twist candlestick, a traditional design made up of threads cut into a cylinder. Most of the project is done with hand tools, with the only turning phase being the step where you bring the blank to shape. After you lay out the spirals, saw and carve them into shape, and then shape the insides. These candlesticks, usually displayed in right-twist, left-twist pairs, are a great conversation starter wherever they are displayed.